Aurora Townsend and the Durmstrang Gallivant
by rajastreet
Summary: Following the events in 'Aurora Townsend and the One Thousand Year Curse', Aurora returns for another year at Hogwarts and accepts a dangerous invitation.
1. Prologue

_Great Britain – 975_

Under a blanket of darkness, three tents stood in a clearing of a dense forest. A few scattered torches were the only light under a starless night sky as a young girl entered one of the tents and sat down to watch an ancient ritual.

"Aurora," a woman greeted her quietly. "I didn't think you would come."

A dark-haired man appeared behind her. "I knew she'd be here."

He gave her a smile.

For a moment, she considered leaving. Godric didn't know she was gone yet. She could sneak back before he ever realized she'd left. That was what she _should_ do. He'd made it clear he didn't want her involved in this.

But her heart was beating fast, not from fear that he might catch her, but from excitement. The energy in the tent was intoxicating.

She nodded to the pair. "I want to learn."


	2. Chapter 1

_Great Britain – Summer 1976_

The tide was coming in.

Aurora sat in a beach chair, watching the water coming up onto Brighton Beach. Down the shore, she could hear Muggle children laughing. She sat alone in front of the Evans' beach house, trying to distract herself with the vastness of the sea. In her hand was a book she hadn't opened all summer.

She'd spent the past few months with Lily's family. Dumbledore had offered a place for her to stay at the castle, but she had refused. Remaining in the castle and thinking by herself all summer would have been a dangerous idea.

Instead, she had spent her summer with Lily and her family, at the beach and exploring the Muggle world. Her knowledge of the modern world had grown tenfold since the previous spring – in fact, Lily assured her that she would know more than the other pureblood students when they returned – and she had been having fun.

But there was only one week left until the new school year started and Aurora started to feel a sense of dread brewing in her stomach.

She looked down at the book in her hand once more and tried to shore up the strength to lift the cover.

As it always did, her hand froze.

 _Why are you so afraid of this story? It's not like you don't know how it ends._

She certainly did. She knew she should open it. But as she sat there, she couldn't will her hand to move. Most of her mind told her to make it, but a small voice in back was persistent warning.

 _Once you open it, you won't be able to go back_.

Her concern and better judgement were still debating when a voice cut into her thoughts.

"Rory!"

Jumping slightly, she tapped the cover three times and the book disappeared – a trick she had added minutes after the book had been given to her – so by the time Sirius appeared over her shoulder, it was safely hidden.

"What are you doing out here?" he said, looking at her curiously.

Aurora smiled and looked out at the water. "Just enjoying the ocean."

His eyebrows dipped for a moment, but then he shrugged. "We found a place for Quidditch."

Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter had been searching for a safe place to play Quidditch since they had arrived. James had brought a trunk of Quidditch equipment – as well as new stories about what had been happening at the Ministry over the summer holiday.

None of it was good. The Blood Registry was in full-swing and the pure-blood movement was still gaining momentum. There were more calls for additional restrictions on Muggle-born and even half-blood witches and wizards.

Aurora and Lily had been following what they could by sneaking an occasional Daily Prophet. They had been proud when Dumbledore voiced his strong assurance that Muggle-born students would always be welcome at Hogwarts, but Aurora could see that Lily was growing increasingly worried about going back to the magical world.

The boys' arrival came at a great time – just in time to take their minds off it before the new school year and just after Lily's parents had left for a trip to Scotland with her sister.

As far as Muggle parents went, Aurora imagined Lily's parents were quite accepting. In fact, they seemed thrilled with their daughter's abilities – so much that Lily had to constantly remind them that she couldn't do magic outside of school. Even her little sister was enchanted. She'd spent their first evening together questioning Aurora about growing up in the magical world.

Lily's family left for Scotland that morning and by the afternoon, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had arrived by portkey. They had all spent a week at James's parents' house for a week already and were filled with laughter, stories, and plans for a Quidditch competition.

Sirius led Aurora off the beach and into the sandy hills beyond the house. The Evans' beach house was far enough from the public beaches that they wouldn't be seen – especially after James had lined the arena with PeriMeters, small glass orbs that would turn red when Muggles approached.

James was waiting with the brooms.

"Lily is still speaking with her mother on the tellyphone," he said. "She should be out soon."

Aurora nodded. She had disappeared to the beach shortly after the boys had arrived, wanting to give the old friends some time to themselves. As they stood in the sand, she was keenly aware that she was the only Slytherin for kilometers.

"How has your summer been?" James asked politely.

She opened her mouth to answer, but a Bludger whizzed past.

"Sorry!" Peter shouted, running up the sand dune with a beater in hand.

There was a sand explosion as the Bludger hit the dune.

"Merlin, Peter!"

But the Bludger didn't stop. It blurred past them again just as Remus appeared and beat it back, avoiding hitting Aurora or James but directed it right toward the house – where Lily was stepping outside.

"Lily!" James yelled.

He reached for his wand, but it wasn't there. Lily had made them all lock their wands away in the house while they were visiting.

There was no way the Bludger would miss her. Aurora had only seen a few games of Quidditch, but she knew it was bewitched to hit moving targets. Lily didn't seem to see what was coming for her…

The bludger hit the sand again, exploding bigger this time.

Lily yelped and James and Sirius bolted toward her.

Aurora discreetly looked over her shoulder at Remus, but he was speaking sternly to Peter.

She exhaled.

James and Sirius wrangled the Bludger and returned with Lily, looking more shaken than she did. After carefully strapping the Bludger back into the trunk, they started their game. It was a simplified version, played with only a quaffle – one team member defending the goal while the other two tried to score. Peter and Remus were the goal keepers, leaving the others to spar in the middle.

Twice, James nearly flew into Lily – neither of which appeared to Aurora to be accidents – and put out a hand to steady her or ask if she was okay.

Sirius caught Aurora's eyes once after one of their near-misses and they both raised their eyebrows. Then Aurora took the opportunity to fly past Sirius and make a goal against Remus.

After the game – James's talent securing their team the win – the group settled into the chairs along the beach to talk about the upcoming year.

"Have much of your summer reading have you two completed?" Lily asked James and Sirius.

James looked thoughtful. "I'd say five percent."

Sirius disagreed. "I'd say closer to seven."

"You've only got another two weeks to finish it."

James nodded. "Or you could just tell us what was in the reading and save us the trouble." He flashed a cheeky grin.

Lily smiled back and laughed.

Aurora and Sirius looked at each other again.

They teased for a few more minutes and then Lily sighed. "I should go make dinner."

James stood up. "I'll help."

They disappeared into the house.

"I'll bet he will," Remus said.

All three of the boys turned to Aurora, who only shrugged her shoulders. "I know no more than you do."

But that wasn't entirely true. Lily and Aurora had spent more than one evening talking about James Potter. It was obvious to even a blind troll that he fancied her, but Lily wasn't sure about she felt about him.

In a wave of honesty, Aurora had told her about what James had done for in the past year. She reminded her about the lake and told her about the time Galen had attacked her in the corridor.

"Not to mention how quick he was to come and save you when you were attacked during the Quidditch match."

"But you got there first."

Aurora nodded, joking at first and then with more seriousness. "And probably saved Potter's future. I'm not convinced that he wouldn't have hexed Abe within an inch of his life."

Lily rolled her eyes at the tone. "He was lucky you were there."

"He really was."

It had been a nice moment, but not one she felt like sharing with the lions – not even when she was rooting for James.

Later that evening, Aurora stayed up, waiting for the others to fall asleep. Dinner had taken too long and now she was going to be late. She heard a few whispers in the hall and then silence.

 _Finally_.

She had an appointment to keep.


	3. Chapter 2

The sand crunched under her feet as she moved along the beach.

Sitting in the furthest chair from the beach house, Aurora looked out over the water and focused on the horizon. The moon was high in the sky, dotting the water with moonlight. Slowly the waves and her breaths aligned and her eyelids closed and she reached out to a deep place in her mind.

 _He was there already._

 _Aurora felt a heartbeat increase at the thought of being late, but it wasn't hers. The eyes she was seeing out of weren't hers anymore either._

 _Walburga Black was nearing a panic as she and Orion took their seats in a dim room._

 _Before them was a man in dark clothes and standing in the shadows. It was Tom Riddle, Aurora knew, but she tried to push the thought from her mind. For this to work, she needed to keep her own mind blank._

 _A few more figures glided into the room and Walburga's tension began to lessen with each other latecomer. Finally, the door slammed shut and the man stepped into the candlelight._

 _Tom looked worse than he had the last time Aurora had seen him. She felt Walburga's mind react as well, before pushing the thought away._

 _He was paler than before and there were dark circles under his eyes._

 _The affect wasn't the appearance of weakness, however. He looked…frightening._

" _I want to thank you all for coming this evening," he began, his smooth voice peppered with gravel. "It has been a busy week."_

Aurora opened her eyes and searched the horizon. Nothing.

Her eyes closed again.

 _A large man was speaking now and Aurora felt Walburga's contempt. She wasn't interested in the speaker and began to look around the room._

 _Aurora noted many familiar faces – but a few new._

 _There was a light applause and Walburga turned her attention back to the front._

Aurora's eyes snapped open again.

Still nothing.

She closed them just as quickly.

 _Tom was standing in front of the room again, this time with an unnerving smile on his pale lips. "I am pleased," he said. "I am pleased with these reports. Our goal is_ achievable _." There was an eerie glint in his eye. "But we've only just begun. Tonight, I invite you all to take the next step."_

 _The room quieted._

" _The Registry and the new Marriage Act are good. But until the Ministry sees fit to eliminate the Muggle infestation altogether, we are going to have to do it ourselves."_

 _A curtain behind Tom fell and a Muggle man stood, terrified before the group._

" _This man had no magical ability. He has no place here. He offers our community_ nothing. _And yet, because he married a witch, he is welcome?_ He is not one of us!"

 _Walburga cringed at Tom's yell._

" _His knowledge and presence here threatens our world," Tom continued. "And we cannot allow that! There must be punishments for those that those that threaten us," he said, taking his wand out of his robes. He flicked it once and the tip glowed red._

 _Skin sizzled when Tom pressed his wand against the Muggle man's chest. He screamed, but the leader kept working. The screaming continued._

 _When Tom finished, the Muggle man was being held up by a spell alone and there was as large skull and snake burnt into his chest._

" _We cannot allow Muggles to destroy us," he said. "Who will act to save our world?"_

 _He looked out across the group._

" _Abraxas."_

 _A blond man stood and made his way to the front. He faced the Muggle man with disgust. Then he took out his wand and held it up. Everyone knew what was coming next. Walburga tried to look down, but Aurora made her keep her eyes up._

" _Avada Kedavra."_

 _The Muggle man fell to the ground._

 _The room erupted into applause._

Aurora's eyes opened. 

Her breath was coming faster and her head was killing her. Her mind was reeling.

She hadn't been expecting that.

A breeze blew by and the coolness on her cheeks told her that she was crying. She moved to wipe the tears away, but her eyes caught on something on the horizon.

Blinking a few times, she could still see the dark shadow in the waves.

There was something in the water. 

Slowly, she climbed out of the chair and walked to the edge of the ocean.

She'd seen this shadow before.

Over the summer, she had come out to the beach at night a few times a week to check on Walburga. The waves helped her keep focused and she had always found magic to best performed outside.

A few weeks before, she had opened her eyes after a session and seen a glimpse of something in the water. She had thought it was a trick of her eyes in the moonlight. Then it happened again. The next time, she was prepared and caught a longer look.

A suspicion grew.

Determined to find out if she was right, Aurora silently dipped her foot into the water and began to walk into the waves.

The shadow moved…toward her.

With the water past her knees, she stopped and waited. The shadow kept coming and as it did, it began to look more and more like a figure. It stopped not more than two meters away.

Aurora gripped her wand in her back pocket. Slowly, she pulled it out and lifted in front of her.

" _Lumos."_

The light flickered and Aurora gasped.

The figure was dark blue, with yellow eyes and pointed teeth. It had long stringy hair that was tangled with kelp.

She felt her eyes widen. Not in over one thousand years, had Aurora come face to face with a mermaid.

Living in the Slytherin dormitories, she had heard rumors that there were merpeople in the lake, but no one had ever seen one.

For a moment, Aurora tried to remember if wild merpeople were dangerous. But then she looked back to the creature before her and couldn't imagine the answer was no.

Only this one didn't look hostile. Its large eyes were watching her carefully, almost curiously.

Aurora remembered reading that sea creatures were more susceptible to magic than other creatures. They could feel it in the water.

 _They could feel it in the water._

This mermaid knew was she had been doing.

Aurora's heart tripped.

Then, a loud sound came from behind her.

"Rory!"

The mermaid dove away as Sirius came crashing through the water. "Rory, what are you doing out here?"

She stared at the water. "There was a…a mermaid."

"What?"

"There was a mermaid in the water."

Sirius frowned and then looked out at the waves. "Why don't we go back inside?"

Aurora nodded, but the bad feeling she had in her stomach didn't go away once they got there. 


	4. Chapter 3

"Here."

Sirius handed her a blanket from the couch. Aurora took it, not looking up from a spot on the floor. She was perched on the kitchen island and her mind was going over everything that had just happened.

Tom Riddle had killed someone.

She had witnessed a murder.

A murder that was met with _applause._

She'd seen a mermaid.

That mermaid knew she was using magic.

 _Did it know what kind?_

"Rory," Sirius said slowly. "What were you doing outside?"

She blinked. She needed to answer him. She needed to act normally or he might start asking questions she couldn't answer. "I, uh, couldn't sleep. I wanted some air."

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

"And when I got outside, I saw a figure in the water. I went into the water to get a better look. When I realized it was a mermaid, I –"

"Mermaid?"

Aurora jumped as Remus stepped into the kitchen.

"You saw a mermaid?"

She nodded.

"I found her half-way in the water," Sirius told him, with an edge of worry.

Remus looked down to her wet, sandy feet.

"I'm going to get another blanket from upstairs," Sirius said.

He left and Remus stared at her.

"Mermaids are attracted to magic, you know," he said carefully.

"I know."

"Especially dark magic."

Her breath caught in her throat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's very rare to see a mermaid in the ocean."

She didn't like his tone. "What, exactly, do you think I was doing out there, Remus?" she asked him coolly, knowing it might be the best deflection.

"I don't know."

They were staring at each other when Sirius returned. James and Lily were in tow.

"What's going on?" Lily asked.

Aurora frowned. _Did they always stand that close together? Did Lily look..? And James's hair…well, his hair was always messy, wasn't it?_

Next to her, Sirius was frowning as well. "Are you two –"

Lily's eyes met Aurora's with a touch of panic rising.

Her mind sputtered for a moment and then had an idea. There was no time to evaluate the idea before it was already coming out of her mouth.

"Remus accused me of dark magic."

Everyone swirled toward their tall friend, a chorus of disbelief.

" _Aurora_."

"Well, you _did_."

He exhaled. "I merely pointed out that merfolk are attracted to dark magic."

James's eyebrows knitted together. "You think someone was doing dark magic nearby?"

Lily made a sound of frustration. "James, Aurora wasn't –"

"Of course not Aurora," he interrupted. "But someone else could have been out there."

Her eyes went wide. "You think someone is outside practicing dark magic?"

Slowly, they all looked to the window.

Ten minutes later, Aurora and Sirius were walking along the beach, looking for signs that someone else had been there. Aurora tried to hide her frustration as she feigned searching, knowing nothing was out there.

 _Besides, it's not like there is worse dark magic then the kind I was performing._

"I don't really think there is someone out here," Sirius said. "But let's walk a little bit further and then turn back. Give Lily and James a few more minutes alone."

Aurora smiled.

"He's going to be impossible to live with if that turns into something. She's all he has talked about since fifth year," he continued, shaking his head. "Unrequited love."

She laughed. "Maybe not entirely unrequited."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"That's all I'll say."

He laughed. "I think it's going to be an interesting year then."

They stopped walking and he looked out at the water. She knew they were both thinking about going back to school – and the people they would see when they did.

Aurora shook her head. "I haven't heard from him."

She could see Sirius's expression fighting to stay neutral.

"I think he might be angry with me. He hasn't written me once this summer."

He shrugged, perhaps a little too casually. "Well, Reg doesn't usually stay angry for long."

Aurora thought about her last conversation with Sirius's brother and wondered if that would still be true.

She turned back to say something else but her eyes caught on a shadowy figure behind Sirius's shoulder.

But her heart didn't skip. Her breath didn't catch.

She knew that figure. It had been following her all summer.

"Let's go back," she told Sirius.

They met the others by the house. Remus opened his mouth as she approached, but she cut him off. "It's fine, Remus. Let's just go to bed."

They made their way upstairs

The beach house had five rooms, so the boys were sharing but Lily and Aurora each had their own. When Aurora closed the door behind her, her eyes immediately went to the window.

A piece of parchment was waiting on the other side of the glass.

Opening the window, she pulled it inside. Unfolding the note, she read the single line.

 _Well done with the Bludger._

Unsmiling, she carried the note to her desk and opened a drawer. She dropped the note inside with numerous others like it.

Pushing the drawer closed, her eyes caught on a bit of emerald on her desk. She grabbed it and pulled out a card she had nearly forgotten about. Her eyes ran over the embossed black letters.

 _Narcissa Black cordially invites you…Willowbourgh Lane…Friday the 29_ _th_ _…_

She had nearly forgotten.

Well, she _wished_ she had nearly forgotten.

Whether or not to attend the party had been on her mind since she had received the invitation a few weeks before. But now, after speaking with Sirius, she knew she had to go.

Silence hadn't been the best choice this summer.

She needed to speak with Regulus.


	5. Chapter 4

The next morning, everyone was slow to rise.

James's father had sent him a copy of the Daily Prophet and he was sitting behind it when Aurora came into the kitchen the next morning. Lily was cooking breakfast.

"They found another one," James said to Remus, who was sitting across the table blowing ineffectively at a mug of scalding tea.

"Another body?"

James nodded. "A man this time. With the Dark Mark branded on him."

Aurora stilled. "The Dark Mark?"

James looked up and saw her in the doorway. "The Death Eater's Mark."

Sirius came up behind her, yawning. "Yeah, you know, with the skull and the snake." He motioned with his hands.

 _The Dark Mark._ That was the name of what had been in the sky the day the Death Eater's attacked the Quidditch match. What had been burned into that Muggle man's chest while he was still alive.

What had been inked onto Regulus's arm.

Friday could not come soon enough – she needed answers.

She took a seat at the table while the others continued to discuss the crime.

"Aren't there any suspects?" Lily asked from behind the counter.

James shrugged. "Every Death Eater is suspect, but nobody knows who they are."

 _I do_.

Lily frowned. "So how can Muggle-borns be protected?"

James set down the paper. "You'll be safe at school," he assured her. "Dumbledore won't –"

"I know," she interrupted. "But not every Muggle-born will be at Hogwarts. What happens to them?"

Shrugged, James exhaled. "The Ministry will start a curfew, I suppose. Try to educate –"

" _Educate_?"

"A lot of people support the Death Eaters, Lily. In the Ministry and outside it."

"And these murders, are they supported?"

James and Remus looked at each other. Remus cleared his throat. "Lily –"

"Why does nobody fight them?"

Everyone turned to Aurora, who repeated herself. "Why not? There is a whole department of the Ministry for dealing with Dark Arts, isn't there? Ritualistic killings fall under Dark Arts. So what are the Aurors doing?"

The room went quiet and Sirius looked to James.

"There is concern in the Ministry that the Aurors may, in fact, _be_ Death Eaters."

Aurora and Lily blanched. "What?"

"That's not confirmed," James said quickly. "It's just a…possibility."

Aurora looked at Lily, who face seemed whiter than it had a few minutes before.

"We won't let anything happen to you, Lily," she said. "Or anyone else if we can stop it. I'm not afraid of them. I'm not afraid of Death Eaters. I'm not afraid of Voldemort. My magic is older and darker than all of theirs."

At that moment, Peter walked into the kitchen and sensed the tense mood.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Sirius said, diffusing the moment with a grin. "We were just deciding whether or not to go for a swim."

Peter frowned and looked out the window, where rain was pouring. "I think not," he said.

Sirius followed his and paused, but didn't falter. "Excellent catch, Wormtail. We stay in then."

They spent the rest of the day playing with the old board games Lily found in the living room. The boys were unimpressed with non-Wizard's chess, but fascinated by Chinese Checkers.

As darkness started to fall outside, James and Sirius made an announcement: they were cooking dinner.

"No," Lily said automatically.

"Yes." Sirius replied.

"It's fine," James assured her. "We found a recipe for chi-lie, and we already have all the ingredients."

"No," she repeated. "If you want _chil-ee_ , I can make it. You two will burn the kitchen down."

James waved a hand. "Remus already taught us how the stove works. It'll be fine."

Then they disappeared into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

Lily stared after them.

"So…" Aurora started, twirling a chess piece in her hand. "What's going on there?"

"What?" Lily looked back.

Aurora lifted her eyebrows.

Lily blushed. "Nothing."

"Nothing? Because –"

There was a loud crash follow by a long clatter.

"It's fine," James shouted through the door.

"He's just cooking dinner for you because it's _nothing_ ," Aurora said.

There was another crash and Remus stood up. Aurora waved a hand. "I'll go," she said, giving Lily one last knowing look.

She looked away.

Walking into the kitchen, Aurora was met with a surprising amount of commotion. A pot was simmering on the stove and James was dumping hamburger into a skillet. At the counter, Sirius was slicing tomatoes.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes," James said. "Just had a little trouble locating the…silver…stove…bowl." He pointed to the skillet.

Aurora nodded and bit back a smile.

"We are also making boiled potatoes."

"And I'm making the tomato sauce," Sirius said proudly.

"Excellent." She took a seat on a stool at the counter. James looked at her. "I was sent in to supervise."

"What do you know about Muggle cooking?" he asked.

"I know your water is about to boil over," she said, pointing to the foaming pot.

He swore and as he turned to the stir the contents, Aurora waved a finger and turned down the heat. The water returned to a simmer.

"I wanted to ask you something," she said, getting his attention once more. "About this morning."

He looked at her.

"You said people think the Aurors are working for the Death Eaters. We've already got a Blood Registry and more legislation in the works. The movement isn't going away." Her eyes were steely. "Just how bad do you think this is going to be?"

James's face didn't flinch. "Bad."

Slowly, she nodded. Her thoughts and memories were whirling in her mind. She had information that could help – but how could she explain how she got it? The Curses were unforgivable for a reason…But if she gave it up, she'd lose any connection at all.

 _What's worse?_

"Rory, this morning you mentioned fighting against the Death Eaters."

James's face darkened. _"Sirius_."

They looked at each other and Aurora watched as a silence conversation played out. Her own eyebrows knitted together.

Sirius turned back to her, his face more serious than she had ever seen it before. "If _you_ could fight, would you?"

"Of course."

He gave a small nod and looked back down at the tomatoes. James went to the stove and took the skillet off the burner. He placed it on a hot pad on the counter and went to the spice cabinet.

There was tension the air and her forehead creased further. "What are you planning to do?"

"Nothing," James answered calmly, returning with cumin and oregano. Sirius crossed behind him to put the tomatoes into a new pot and began to heat them.

 _What was that about?_

She looked at the hamburger and noticed it was still pink.

 _And why are they so calm?_

When James left to get the chili power, she flickered a flame to life in her palm and waved it over the meat until it was browned.

 _They bring up fighting and then –_

A thought came into her mind and was already coming out of her mouth. "You two know not to go after them alone, right?" She blurted, glad her incrementing hand was already back under the counter. "Because the Death Eaters have done worse things than you know and they _will_ do them to you."

"We're not alone," James replied, shaking the chili powder over the skillet.

That thought festered in her mind as the boys finished preparing the food and well into dinner.


	6. Chapter 5

That night, they took the beach furniture back onto the beach. It had stopped raining and Sirius lit a fire in the sand. Lily introduced them to some Muggle games, which escalated when James and Sirius began handing out dares. She stopped the game when they challenged each other to walk over hot coals.

"You know what we do need," James said, "are some drinks."

"There is some whiskey inside."

They disappeared inside to fetch it and some glasses.

Aurora turned to look at the water, but saw Peter staring down the beach. There was a popular public beach a few kilometers away and at night the lights could be seen.

He looked sad, staring in the distance.

"Are you alright, Peter?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

"Peter?"

"Do you ever wish you could be a Muggle?"

Remus frowned.

"No," Sirius said slowly. "Do you?"

"Sometimes," he answered, still staring down the beachfront. "It just seems easier."

A long beat passed and then Aurora nodded slowly. "I could understand that."

Remus and Sirius frowned at her, but she kept her eyes on Peter. "It might seem simpler. But Muggles, they have their own problems too. And they don't have magic to fix any of them."

He didn't reply.

"You're worried about the Death Eaters?"

"You're not?" His voice was sharper than usual. He cast a cool glance her way. "What I am saying, of course _you're_ not."

Something boiled up inside her. "You think being a Muggle would save you from the Death Eaters? It will make you their target. Do you really think they will stop at the Muggles in our world? They want them _all_ gone." She paused for a moment. "There was a time when the Muggles wanted all of us dead. The tables have turned – they just don't know it yet. And when it happens, they'll be defenseless."

The back door sounded and Lily and James appeared with the whiskey. As they settled back in, an awkward silence settled over the group.

"What did we miss?" Lily asked with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Just some light existentialism," Remus replied.

Lily opened her mouth again, but Aurora cut her off. "I'm going to be gone for a while tomorrow."

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"Thane's cabin. There are a few things left to do before the school year starts."

She knew no one would ask anything else. Guilt tugged at Aurora's stomach, but she didn't let it show on her face.

"I'll be back before the train on the first," she promised.

They all nodded with sympathy.

"We could help you, you know," Lily said.

"That's nice, Lil, but I'll be fine."

She nodded and then smiled lightly. "I can't believe we are going back to school in two days."

"Yes," Sirius agreed with a solemn nod. "Disbelief is my chief emotion about it as well."

Remus sighed. "Back to essay writing –"

"Quidditch practice," James added.

"Detention," Peter said.

"Nightly checks for the Dark Mark," Lily said, looking slyly at Aurora.

The group roared with laughed. James leaned over and kissed Lily on the cheek.

Everyone froze. Lily looked to Aurora, eyes wide.

Aurora laughed. "Oh, like there is anything I can do to help you now," she responded. She stood up. "I'm going to go to bed. You two have fun explaining that." As she passed by, she put a hand on James's shoulder. "Don't feel too bad. It would have come out soon anyway. You two are about as subtle as a Hippogriff in a potions lab."

She heard laughter behind her as she headed up the stairs.

Much later, when she had nearly fallen asleep, she heard a _thunk_ outside her door. Sitting up, she heard hushed voices in the hallway. Walking silently across the room, she placed her ear against the door and listened to the two male drunken whispers in the hall.

"She said she wanted to help."

"We don't know enough about her. Peter doesn't trust her. Remus said –"

Her body tensed. _What had Remus said?_

But the conversation continued without explanation.

"Do you trust her?"

There was a long pause. "I do."

"I think she could help us."

"Even if she can, how would we convince the others? You heard her tonight – I trust her but sometimes I don't know why."

"Dumbledore said –"

"Dumbledore told us not to do anything until the next meeting."

"Prongs –"

"We'll talk about it then."

The next day Aurora walked into the kitchen in the late morning.

"You'll be back tonight?"

Aurora nodded.

"And you're sure you don't need any help?"

She shook her head.

At noon, clad in a party dress under her witch's robes, she said goodbye and walked out into the sand to a secluded spot where she stashed her robes. Taking the emerald envelope out of her pocket, she closed her eyes for a moment and bracing herself for the upcoming hours.

A footstep sounded in the sand.

"That was a convincing lie," Sirius said.

Aurora stilled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He held up an emerald slip of paper.

"You were _invited_?"

He frowned. "Narcissa _is_ my cousin."

"You hate her."

"So do you."

"Yeah, but…I have to…"

"You want to see Regulus," he said knowingly. "So do I."

She looked at him and could see that he was telling the truth. He wanted to see his brother. The ocean hummed behind her as she thought about how to tell him what he needed to know.

She came up with nothing.

He waved his invitation again and nodded down the driveway. "If we don't go now, we'll be late."

Nodding and exhaling slowly, she carefully opened the envelope and touched the invitation.

She felt a familiar tugging in her stomach and closed her eyes just as the world began to spin. She felt commotion and wind whirling around her and a white-hot agony exploded in her mind.

 _Orion Black standing in his living room._

The world spinning, colors blending.

 _The walls of the Black House._

Spinning. Spinning. Spinning.

 _Orion's voice getting louder and louder and louder and –_

Everything came to a jarring stop. Her legs ached after slamming into the ground, but they didn't hold her up. Crashing into grass, she gripped her temples trying, desperately, to temper the agony. It felt as if the Cruciatus was being performing inside her skull.

She cried out in pain and tried to open her eyes. Green lights strobed in her eyes before she pinched them closed again. She heard quick footsteps in the grass and a distorted voice saying her name. Another set of hands tried to move hers, but she wouldn't let them.

"Aurora. Aurora! Rory!"

She could hear Sirius, but couldn't form any response. His house, mother, father, the basement room, all of it was blurring in front of her eyes.

The pain was growing and growing and growing

 _Snap_.

Aurora felt something pull in her mind and the pain stopped immediately. Her eyes throbbed but she was able to open her eyes and see that she was on a grassy lane lined with tall, beautiful trees. Sirius's face loomed above her, looking paler than usual.

"What happened to you?"

She blinked. Her mind felt clearer than it had in months.

 _The Imperius connection is gone._

Outwardly, she shrugged. "Bad reaction to the Portkey, I guess," she said in a breathy voice.

Sirius shook his head. "We should take you back to the beach house."

Aurora shook her head. "I'm fine now – and I'm staying. You are welcome to go back –"

His jaw tensed and he interrupted her. "Fine. Let's go. The house is this way."

She nodded slowly and they began to walk.

The house came into view between the trees. The Black Estate was sprawling – acres of pristine gardens with a Victorian mansion at the center. Aurora was reminded of the arboretum at the Black House in London – all the flowers and pastel flowers felt as out of the place there as they did in front of her.

It was hard to believe that as sour of a girl as Narcissa Black came from such a lovely place.

As they approached the front door, it swung open on its own and a petite girl with a wide smile, ringlets in her auburn hair, and a drink in hand stood in its place.

"Just what do you two think you are doing here?"


	7. Chapter 6

"Aurora Townsend and Sirius Black. I _cannot_ believe you're here."

The girl descended the stairs, her shiny ringlets bouncing with each step.

Next to Aurora, Sirius was smiling.

The girl stopped in front of them, holding her glass out to the side and studying them dramatically.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Aurora, this is –"

"Georgette Ardenau," she finished for him, sticking her gloved hand out to Aurora. " _Enchanté_."

Sirius grinned. "She's a very old friend of mine."

Georgette winked at him.

Aurora shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

The other girl smiled wider and then emptied her drink. Casually, she tossed the glass behind her and it disappeared on its way to the ground. Pushing her way in between Aurora and Sirius, she took them both by the elbow and led them to a flower-lined path.

"You're both late," she said. "Everyone is already in the back."

She led them through vine-covered pathways brimming with pale flowers, talking all the while.

Looking at Aurora, she smiled. "Narcissa will be happy you're here," she told her, adding in a dramatic whisper, "She really didn't think you were going to come."

She turned to Sirius and her smile faltered. "I don't know what she is going to say about you."

"Sounds about right."

Nothing about this had been as Aurora had expected so far and her heartbeat was starting to pick up as she could hear the party growing nearer.

It was garden party – and the invitation had warned that the dress code was the same. Aurora had created a burgundy party dress but compared to Georgette, she was already underdressed. With Sirius with here, there was no time to alter it – not that it mattered. Her presence wasn't going to be defined by what she wore. She glanced at Sirius.

 _Not anymore_.

They rounded a final corner and the party blossomed in front of them – a striking mix of black, white, and pastels. The patio was lined with tables overflowing with cakes and drinks. Small groups of impeccably-dressed guests sat at elegant tables, laughing and smiling at one another.

It was all very…civil.

For a moment, Aurora could do nothing but stare. She recognized only a handful of faces in the crowd – and had only the time before they recognized _her_ to form a plan.

Her heart beat picked up and she felt the same as she had when she met Regulus's family the first time.

 _Only these aren't extremely powerful witches and wizards. These are students. Just like you._

She had only just taken a calming breath when Narcissa turned away from a red-headed guest and noticed them.

"Look at who I found in the front yard," Georgette announced with a grin, picking up another wine glass. "This really is the party of the summer, Cissa."

Something flashed in Narcissa's eyes, but she carefully pinned on a smile. Georgette knew what she was doing. Aurora felt a wave of gratitude and, beside her, Sirius fought a grin.

"Welcome," Narcissa said stiffly. Around her, the crowd of guests stared.

Georgette ignored them.

"Now, Sirius," she said, "Of course you already know everyone, so why don't you mingle while I introduce Aurora, okay?"

She didn't wait for answer, taking Aurora by the elbow again and pulling her to a table of bespectacled guests.

"Elric, Natasha, Leopold," Georgette greeted. "This is Aurora Townsend."

The trio nodded in response and turned their attention to Aurora. No one spoke. They each wore a pair of the same thick brown glasses with blue-tinted lenses. Their eyes were magnified as they blinked at her.

"Green," said Elric.

"Green," said Natasha.

"Green," said Leopold.

Aurora faltered. "I'm sorry –"

"Your color," Georgette said, her smile somehow even wider now. "It's green. That's very good."

The trio nodded, but still didn't speak. Georgette nodded back and pulled Aurora away.

"The glasses," Georgette said, her smile dropping bit as she rolled her eyes. She waved to a man dressed in a black suit. "They read your 'color' and that means _something_ , I guess. No one understands it, really, but they are very expensive."

The man in the suit glided over, carrying a silver tray with tall wine glasses on it. Georgette emptied her own glass and picked up two more. She handed one to Aurora.

"There are you are," she said in a lighter voice. "That should make the other introductions more bearable."

As she pulled Aurora to another table, Aurora turned back to glance to find Sirius but she didn't see him amongst the guest.

The next table Georgette brought her to was filled with more students Aurora didn't recognize.

"Aurora Townsend," one of them greeted. She had tanned skin and dark eyes that narrowed when she saw Aurora. "It's… _exciting_ to meet you. We've certainly heard a lot about you."

Aurora tensed. "Can't say that's mutual," she responded without smiling.

Georgette laughed. "This is Wilhelmina. She is nicer than she seems," Georgette said with a pointed look at Wilhelmina. "Very gifted at Transfiguration and a champion Seeker."

"Oh, Georgie, you're too kind."

"Found your manners now, have you?"

Wilhelmina gave her a fake smile that turned real. She gestured to the empty seats at the table. "Sit with us."

They sat down and Georgette introduced the other members of the table. But Aurora didn't listen. There was something very familiar about Wilhelmina.

"I'm sorry," Aurora said, finally. "But you look so familiar, Wilhelmina. Have we meet somewhere before?"

They hadn't – of course they hadn't. But then why did she seem so familiar?

Wilhelmina smiled knowingly to the others. "No, but I do look at fair bit like my aunt."

The others at the table laughed. Aurora's mind began churning. Clearly Wilhelmina was related to someone she was supposed to know. But who was it?

She didn't look like any of the Hogwarts professors. Or the students. Or the guests at the Black house. For a moment, Aurora's stomach pinched as she thought of the one name everyone in this audience would know.

 _Does he have a wife? A sister?_

But it wasn't Tom Riddle. Of course not. The answer came to Aurora when she looked back to Wilhelmina and placed her olive skin and fiery eyes. She had seen them – in a photograph of the Pure Alliance's march to the Ministry.

 _Caspia Roughhart._

Her stomach didn't relax. It was better than Riddle, she guessed, but only just.

"We've just been to see Leopold." Georgette's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Ah," Wilhelmina said. "Did he read your energy?"

Aurora nodded. "Green."

She smiled. "Green is good."

Aurora smiled back politely.

Another guest at the table turned to her. "How are you finding Hogwarts?"

"Fine, I suppose," she answered, slowly. A few knowing looks were exchanged around the table. "Parts of it, anyway."

Wilhelmina said a sound of understanding. "You know you transfer there caught everyone's attention."

"Well, it was nice of Headmaster Dumbledore to let me in."

She scoffed. "Dumbledore? It's irresponsible of the Ministry to continue to let that old hack run a school."

"You all must attend Durmstrang, I imagine?" Aurora asked, gesturing around the table.

They all nodded except for Georgette. "I'm at Beauxbatons," she said.

But Wilhelmina wasn't finished. "My aunt says that the Slytherin is actually quite good. The problems at Hogwarts come from the Gryffindorns."

"Gryffin _dors_."

"Right." She looked at her for a moment. "Is it true that they're all refusing to take the blood registry test?"

Aurora hadn't heard anything about that before, but it would not have surprised her. "I don't know."

Another guest chimed in. "My mother says the Gryffindors are working on a spell to hex their blood and make it unreadable."

Aurora hadn't heard about that either – but she hoped it was true.

"I don't know," she repeated.

Wilhelmina raised an eyebrow. "Sirius hasn't told you?"

Her tone irritated Aurora. "Why would he tell me?"

"He came with you, didn't he?"

Aurora met her gaze, levelly. "Sirius and I arrived at the same time," she said in a cool tone. "We didn't come here together."

That was technically true.

"But you are friends, right? That's what I've heard. You and Sirius and _James Potter._ "

Wilhelmina said James's name the same way Galen did.

"'Friends' is a strong word," Aurora told her.

"Maybe so, but you've also been vacationing with a Mudblood this summer, right?"

Aurora's eyes steeled and her mouth smiled. "You are very interested in me, Wilhelmina, aren't you? If you know so much about me, you must know that I don't like that word." The smile dropped for a moment and then it was back, brighter than before. "If I ask you why you are so curious about me, I'm sure you'll tell me it's because you think I'm an apologist or a sympathizer. But I don't think that's the real reason – your aunt's in politics so you know that one girl's opinion doesn't matter much –"

Wilhelmina tried to interrupt, but Aurora wouldn't let her.

"I think you're interested in me because you're jealous. And I think you're being rude about it now because I didn't know who you were when I sat down."

Wilhelmina's eyes flashed.

Aurora turned to Georgette. "Thank you but I think I'll take the introductions from here."

Then she stood up and left the table.

The rest of the party was splayed out across the garden. There was no point in prolonging her time at the party now – Wilhelmina would make sure the guests all hated her – and there was only one thing she really needed to do.

She searched the crowds and tables, but she couldn't find Regulus anywhere. She asked a few strangers if they had seen him. One hadn't and one didn't even know who he was.

Nearing the edge of the party, Aurora began to worry. Maybe he didn't come. There was one last table to check but before she made it there, something caught her eye. Around the party were groups of trees and she could see someone moving inside a cluster. The shadow was moving slowly and deliberately toward the same table she was approaching.

Her steps got faster.

There was a black-haired boy at the table. She could almost see his face.

Just as Regulus's eyes looked up at her, the figure behind him lifted a wand.

Without thinking, Aurora's hand swung out as she said, " _Immobilis_."

There was a spark of light and the figure behind Regulus froze – as did everyone else.

Aurora knew about underage laws. Dumbledore and Aubrey had cautioned her about them. She had been so careful that summer to make sure Lily never saw any of the magic she did. And now, in front of a crowd of students, she had performed underage magic.

It was clear where the spell came from – it couldn't have been anyone but her.

She was going to have to come up with a very good story.

But she carefully kept her eyes from the crowd because she didn't have one yet.


	8. Chapter 7

When Aurora was nine years old, her grandfather caught her practicing a Horn-Tongue Hex. She had stood, frozen where he caught her, waiting for him to punish her. Instead, he taught her to tilt her wand slightly differently and speak more forcefully. The next time he found her practicing, he commended her on her improvement.

The first time Godric caught her doing time magic, he said nothing. The second time, he took her to the lake so they could speak alone. He told her about the dangers, about the witches and wizards that had lost their sanity. He begged her to stop.

"Please, Aurora," he had said. "Dark things happen to wizards who meddle in time."

Those words – said so long ago and repeated by the headmaster not so long ago – rang in her mind again.

Around her everyone remained still, like her spell had been cast over the entire party, not just the tall boy. Aurora was familiar with the feeling settling in her stomach – that silence has always twisted her insides.

 _Breathe._

 _You have to breathe._

Cool air rushed into her lungs and her mind started working again. She turned to address the guests and her eyes caught on Sirius amongst them.

"Stop staring, all of you."

But it was Regulus's voice that cut over everything. She heard him move to stand next to her, his arm taking her elbow.

"It's just Declan," he continued. "And as if you lot have never heard of a Countermand."

His word reversed the atmosphere her action's spell – the guests relaxed immediately and returned to their conversations. Behind the, Sirius was still staring, but Aurora followed Regulus away from the crowd.

"I don't know why they were so shocked – a few of them have a Countermand and the rest have tried to get one."

"I'm sorry – a what?"

He continued as if he hadn't heard her. "My parents tried to get me one. My mother thought it would be too dangerous to be near Muggles without one. Of course, even I hadn't realized you would have one know though," he said. "But, of course, you do. Thane Townsend really was the only family you had left, wasn't he?"

Hearing him say Thane's name sent a feeling of dread down her spine.

She nodded.

Her panic had been subsiding, but now it was growing again. Regulus was looking at her without much pity, like he knew she didn't really know Thane, like he knew her secret.

And he did.

"I don't know what you are talking about though. I don't know what a Countermand is and I don't have one. The under-age magic rule just…doesn't apply to me."

For a moment, he stood there and Aurora's heart beat in her chest. Then he nodded and started to walk to the immobilized young man. He nodded toward him. "'Put him right."

Aurora lifted her wand and broke the spell.

The young man sprang to life.

"Bloody hell," he gasped. His eyes were wild before settling on Regulus. "Black, what the hell did you do to me?"

"That was me, actually," Aurora said guilty. "I'm sorry –"

" _You?_ " He glared. "Who are you?" He looked her up and down –and then his eyes lit up with understanding.

Regulus stepped in front of her.

"Doesn't matter," he said. He held out his hand. "Give me the locket, Declan."

"But –"

Regulus shook his head. "We both know magic isn't allowed. Your plan may not have worked, but it should have."

Declan held out a glittering locket and frowned. Finally, he handed it to Regulus, who tucked it in his pocket and turned to leave.

"I am sorry," Aurora said before following him. When she looked back, Declan was staring after her with an unreadable expression.

Regulus sat down at an empty table and waited for her to take the seat across from her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"I've been avoiding you all summer," she continued.

"I guessed as much."

"I'm sorry. I was worried that you might tell someone…about me."

Regulus tensed. "We can't talk about that here."

"I know."

"Then that must not be what you came to talk about."

She paused for moment and then sighed. "What's going on, Reg? I've been reading the papers and…everything's… I just don't understand."

Regulus looked at the table and tugged on his sleeve. "Aurora…"

"Tell me you are not a part of what has been happening this summer. Please. Tell me you aren't involved in these killings."

He looked incredulous.

"It's them, Reg, you know that. If you think it isn't –"

"I know it is."

For a moment, he wouldn't look at her, but when he did, his eyes said a lot. He looked tired – and she wondered what he had been through this summer at home – and pleading. This wasn't the place for this full conversation.

But Aurora couldn't let it go.

"Don't let them make you do anything you don't want to do," she said quietly. "And if you need help, ask for it."

He looked away. "I don't think anyone can help me."

"Of course, they can. _Dumbledore_ can. _I_ can."

He shook his head. "This…" He tugged on his sleeve again. "It's in my blood."

Aurora looked at him for a long time. She understood that feeling well. Finally, she nodded. "We'll talk about it more at school?"

He nodded.

She nodded back. "Well, then," she lightened up. "Do you want to tell me about your friends?"

"These people aren't my friends," he said, looking at her meaningfully.

She smiled – sincerely for the first time she had arrived at the party.

"There she is!" Georgette's voice pierced through the party. "Safe and sound, just like I said. Now where has the waiter gone…"

Her voice trailed away as she left, empty glass in hand, leaving Sirius in her wake.

"You were looking for me?" Aurora asked.

He held up his hands. "I mentioned I was worried about all the commotion and she just brought me here."

"That's Georgette," Regulus said with a laugh.

Sirius smiled – with some surprise – and Regulus looked away again. Aurora waited a moment for him to take his leave and he did.

"Look at the time," he said, pretending to check the locket as if it were a pocket watch.

An emerald glimmered and Aurora frowned, holding her tongue as she watched him go.

Before Sirius could take Regulus's seat, Georgette appeared and sat in it.

"Aurora, you must tell me if you want to be found."

"Excuse me?" She was coming to understand that Georgette's manner of speaking made everyone feel as if they were a sentence or two behind.

"Declan Bishop is looking for you," she explained quickly. "But I'll send him some other way if you don't want him to find you."

Aurora frowned.

Georgette nodded. "I know," she started. "It's Declan Bishop, of course, but then again it's _Declan Bishop_."

Aurora thought for a moment. "No," she said. "I don't want to see him. In fact –" She looked to Sirius – "I think it's time for us to go."

"But there is so much party left!" Georgette said. "I can keep Declan away. Don't worry about that."

"That's not it," Aurora said with a smile, standing. Sirius followed suit. "Thank you, Georgette. It's been a pleasure meeting you. Say goodbye to Narcissa for us, will you?"

They walked out the same way Georgette had brought them in.

"You spoke to Regulus then?"

"Enough." She looked around the front of the house. "How do we get back?"

Sirius pulled the invitation from his pocket. "The same way we got here." He held out his hand and she took it. "Brace yourself this time?"

She smiled and took his hand. As he took the emerald card out of the envelope, she turned back to the party and saw Regulus watching them. When she met his eyes, her mind warped and she found herself watching out of someone else's eyes.

She recognized the Black house just as she felt the Earth fall away from her feet.

 _No._

It hurt worse than the time before. She screamed. It felt like her mind was being ripped in two.

 _The walls shifted._

 _Orion was above her._

 _Kreacher…_

And then Sirius.

His mouth was moving, but she couldn't understand him.

Over his shoulder, she could see the beach house. They were back.

But the pain in her head wasn't subsiding. She couldn't stand it. A velvety darkness was calling to her and she answered. When her head rolled to the side, she caught a final glimpse of a shadowy figure in the ocean in the fading light.


	9. Chapter 8

"Aurora? Aurora? …She's still asleep…What happened? …I don't know…the other portkey…not like this…Poison? ...Not Regulus…did hex Bishop… I don't know…in the water…did you see it?"

The voices ran together in a long line. There was a lot more murmuring that she couldn't make out. When her eyes finally flickered open, she could see it was still dark outside. A bright moon hung high in the sky – round and full –

She sat up abruptly. "Remus!"

"Woah," Lily said, catching her shoulder. "It's okay. It's okay."

Her head did spin, but it was nothing like before. She turned to Lily.

"Remus is fine," she told her. "James took him to a forest outside of town. Aurora – do you know what happened to you? Sirius said you just started screaming."

"I…I'm not sure," she said with partial honestly. Tentatively, she reached out in her mind to see if she still had a connection to Walberga. It was faint, but it was there.

"How do you feel now?"

"Much better."

"Good. You should get some more sleep. We have to leave for the station early in the morning."

"I need to talk to Sirius."

"He and Peter are outside," she said, shaking her head. "Looking for mermaids. Sirius swears he saw one when you two got back." She laughed.

Aurora smiled. "It's a good thing James and Remus aren't here then. They'd be concerned about dark magic again."

Lily turned to her. "No one thinks you are doing dark magic, Aurora. Not really. Remus…he's just cautious. And James…well, it's been a tense summer."

"They have good reason to be cautious." She exhaled slowly. "Lily, I'm worried about going back to school."

" _You're_ worried?"

Aurora shook her head. "This party…the people there, they seemed so… _normal._ Nice, even. But, their parents are Death Eaters or _they_ are Death Eaters." She paused cautiously. "There are Death Eaters at Hogwarts, you know."

Lily turned to look out the window to the night sky. "I know."

Aurora watched her closely. "Severus is one of them."

Her lips pursed and her voice was softer. "I know."

Aurora hesitated for another moment. "So is Regulus."

She turned back, her eyes wide.

"I haven't told Sirius yet."

They sat in silence for a long time.

"Maybe Dumbledore would let you change houses," Lily said, trying for humor.

Aurora smiled lightly. There had been a time when she had thought that Godric would offer, but he never did.

"It's who you are," he had told her.

Thinking of those words twisted her stomach. The pain showed on her face and Lily hurried her back to sleep.

She awoke again later to a rustling noise. Looking over, she saw that Lily had settled into an armchair and fallen asleep. Silently, Aurora stood up and made her way into the hall. Avoiding the squeaky boards, she found her way in the darkness to Sirius's room. The door clicked as she opened it.

Sirius was asleep in the furthest bed from the door. Aurora sat on James's bed and reached over to shake his shoulder.

"Sirius, wake up."

His eyes opened.

"We need to talk about Regulus."

Sirius sat up and turned the lamp on. He looked tired, beyond just lack of sleep.

"What about him?"

Aurora didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure how. "He's joined them," she said finally.

Sirius closed his eyes.

"But I don't think he really wanted to."

"Aurora…" Sirius sighed. "Reg is a good kid, but living with my parents…" HE sighed again. "How do you know?"

"It's a feeling?"

"Rory."

"I mean it. But not a vague feeling. It's the same feeling I had when they asked me to join."

He frowned. "They asked you to join already?"

"Sirius, I'm a descendent of one of the darkest families in magical history. Of course they asked me already."

"And you didn't want to," he said, thinking, "so you think Reg feels the same."

"I think he feels like he _has to_ join." She looked at him meaningfully. "And family loyalty is something we both know about."

"Reg has always wanted to please our parents. Maybe he doesn't want to be a Death Eater, but he does want to please Orion and Walburga. And joining is one, easy way to do that."

"And you're willing to let him sacrifice that much of himself?"

Sirius looked at the floor for a long time. "I asked him to come with me, you know. When I left for the Potters."

She hadn't known that.

"He told me he would rather be an only child than betray his blood." He looked up at her. "He meant it, Aurora. I looked him in the eyes as he said it and he meant it."

"I believe he did."

"And you still think he didn't want to join the Death Eaters?

She thought for a long time, about a lot of things. Her family. Salazar. Time magic. "I think he's lost," she said finally. "And confused. And probably scared." She paused for another moment. "And I think, whatever he is doing, I'm not going to let him do it alone."

He stilled. "You aren't saying –"

"Whatever it is that you wanted to tell me about and James won't let you? Don't tell me."

"Rory –"

"No one knows what is going on, you've said it yourself. And we need to. I think I can find out."

"That's…it's…Rory, what you are talking about…it's…it's _dangerous_."

She nodded.

He shook his head. "You can't do that."

"I think I might be the only one who can."


End file.
